2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season (ThePhoneExpert)
THIS SEASON HAS AN ANIMATION OF ITS OWN! WATCH THE ANIMATION OF THIS RECORD-BREAKING SEASON HERE. The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season was the final in the consecutive streak of above average years, and was the most active in all of the 5 years in the streak. It was an extremely active and destructive season, with 18 Depressions, 17 Named Storms, 11 Hurricanes and 6 Major Hurricanes. It was also one of the Costliest Atlantic Hurricane Seasons on record; with almost all of the damage being caused by 5 storms; Edouard, Isaias, Josephine, Laura and Paulette. The season began on June 1, 2020 and ended on November 30, 2020. However, for the first time since 2007, activity occurred outside both the seasonal boundaries; Arthur in May and Rene in December. A powerful La Niña enhanced the activity in the Atlantic, leading to longer and stronger storms and more number of Hurricanes. Hanna, although completely remaining to the sea, was the strongest storm of the season. It was also the first Category 5 Atlantic Hurricane to not get Retired; a very rare occurrence, only achieved by 2 other storms (Edith in 1971 and Emily in 2005). ACE index was relatively high this year due to stronger and longer lasting storms; especially Hurricane Hanna. This year had an ACE index of 230, making 2020 the 4th most active season on record in terms of Accumulated Cyclone Energy. 2020 also had the highest number of Hurricanes since 2010, and the highest number of major hurricanes since 2017. Each month had an above average ACE index. Inactive months like November saw over 2 Major Hurricanes; Omar and Paulette. In total over 1032 people were killed this year, and over $103.2 billion in damages were inflicted. Over 4 names were retired this year; the most since 2017. This year also saw more activity than the Northern Indian Ocean, the first time since 2017. Seasonal Summary The season began on May 19 after the formation of Subtropical Storm Arthur, extending the streak of consecutive years that a storm formed before the official boundaries. In June, Hurricane Bertha formed and became the earliest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Andrea of 2019. The next month, Tropical Storm Cristobal affected Mexico, causing light damages. Hurricane Dolly veered off to sea as a Minimal Hurricane. August continued the activity streak, the longest since 2017. Hurricane Edouard caused severe damage in the Carribean as a Category 2, later impacting Florida with moderate rains. It was followed by a Tropical Storm and then 3 Consecutive Major Hurricanes; Gonzalo caused high winds as an extratropical cyclone across the United Kingdom. Hanna, the strongest storm of this season, prouduced the highest ACE of any named Atlantic Hurricanes on record and was the second longest lasting storm in the basin. Ultimately, it mostly remained to sea. Isaias opened the month of September as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, becoming the deadliest hurricane this season. On September 12 alone, 4 storms were active consecutively, marking the first time since 2018 that 4 Tropical Storms were active at the same time. Josephine made landfall on North Carolina although causing less damage, while Kyle stayed out to the sea, almost peaking as a Hurricane. Laura was another long lasting storm that at first, was sheared. However, Laura regenerated and became the second-strongest storm of the season, making landfall on the Florida Panhandle at peak, as almost a C5. Systems Tropical Storm Arthur On May 16, the National Hurricane Center began to watch a Tropical Low forming north of the Bahamas, marking it with a 20% chance of development over the next 5 days. The low began moving northeast, gradually moving into warmer waters. The low gained subtropical characteristics, which led to the declaration of Potential Tropical Cyclone One on May 18. Later that day, a reconnaissance aircraft found a closed circulation, along with Tropical Storm force winds. This led to the formation of Arthur, making 2020 the 6th year in a row since 2015 to have a storm form before the official start of the season. Arthur further intensified into a Tropical Storm with winds of 40mph and a pressure of 1009 millibars. Soon after on May 20, it degenerated into a Tropical Low. Hurricane Bertha Tropical Storm Cristobal Hurricane Dolly Hurricane Edouard Tropical Storm Fay Hurricane Gonzalo Hurricane Hanna Hurricane Isaias Hurricane Josephine Tropical Depression Eleven Tropical Storm Kyle Hurricane Laura Tropical Storm Marco Tropical Storm Nana Hurricane Omar Hurricane Paulette Hurricane Rene Storm Names The following names were used for the storms that surpassed Tropical Storm intensity in the basin boundaries. This is the same list used in the 2014 season. The names Isaias, Paulette and Rene were used for the first time (and only, in the case of Isaias and Paulette) in this season. A total of 17 names were used this year. Retirement On March 29, 2021, at the 43rd RA IV meeting, the World Meteorological Organization retired 4 names; Edouard, Isaias, Laura and Paulette, from the Atlantic naming lists and will never be used again for another Atlantic Tropical Cyclone. They were replaced with Ethan, Inigo, Leila and Peggy for the 2026 season. Category:Atlantic hurricane seasons Category:Hyper-active seasons Category:Destructive seasons Category:Above-average seasons Category:TPE's Creations